South American Mercenaries in the Sudanese Conflict Reportedly Recruited by UK-Registered Firms

Tucked away near a gleaming soccer ground of a Premier League club in London lies a squat, unremarkable apartment building. Beyond its unremarkable beige brickwork exists a grim reality: a small second-floor apartment connected to deadly crimes unfolding thousands of miles to the south.

Per UK government records, this apartment in the capital is connected to a international network of companies involved in the mass hiring of fighters to fight in the African nation alongside militias charged of myriad war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of Former Colombian Military Recruited

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to serve with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group blamed for mass rapes, ethnic slaughter, and the systematic murder of civilians.

These contractors were directly involved in the paramilitaries’ capture of the south-western Sudanese city of El Fasher in recent months, which sparked a wave of violence that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As accounts of atrocities increase, connections have been found between the fighters hired to capture El Fasher and locations in the UK capital.

UK Address Linked to Censured Firm

The apartment in north London is registered to a company called Zeuz Global, set up by two individuals named and sanctioned recently by the American authorities for hiring contractors to fight for the RSF.

Both individuals – Colombian nationals in their fifties – are described in records at Companies House as resident in the United Kingdom.

The firm remains active. The day after the US treasury imposed restrictions on those running the Colombian mercenary operation, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its official location to the centre of London. Its updated address matches a five-star hotel in Covent Garden.

The establishments in question said they had no connection to Zeuz Global and had no idea why the company had used their postcodes.

"This is of major concern that the key individuals the US government states are orchestrating this mercenary supply have been able to establish a UK company based from a apartment in the capital," stated an expert, a researcher and ex-participant of a United Nations group on Sudan.

Concerns Voiced Over British Firm Checks

Analysts argue the saga highlights questions over how individuals openly censured by the US for "contributing to the conflict in Sudan" were able to apparently establish and operate a firm in the UK capital.

The UK's top diplomat has censured the RSF for "organized murder, torture and assault" following the group’s capture of El Fasher. The RSF has been charged by the US with acts of genocide.

When asked about the company, Companies House did not comment on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s activities or confirm the residency status of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was fruitless; its online site, created in spring, was marked as "being built" with lacking information.

Operation Led by Retired Officer

Per the American authorities, the man at the heart of the South American recruitment operation for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be sent to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also penalized for owning and managing the agency.

Another dual national was also sanctioned for managing a business alleged of processing money and payroll for the operation employing the mercenaries.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America linked with this individual engaged in numerous bank transactions, totalling many millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement read.

Firm Establishment and Intensifying Conflict

In spring of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in the UK capital named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Three days later, the RSF attacked the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing over 1,500 civilians. After its seizure, the camp was handed over to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in Companies House records as owning "initial shareholdings" in the firm, with one named as a key controller.

The two list Britain as their "place of residency".

Effect on the Conflict and Broader Concerns

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the trajectory of the war, experts state. These fighters have allegedly instructed minors to be soldiers, as well as acting as marksmen, foot soldiers, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones proved key in the capture of El Fasher and during fighting in surrounding areas.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with precision munitions and remote aircraft causing regular civilian deaths," said the expert. "These weapons require outside assistance to operate. We know that the Colombian mercenary operation has been a significant part of this external assistance."

He noted that the participation of sanctioned individuals in a London firm highlighted wider worries over the lack of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a passport for bad actors to do deals with respectable entities. It's still harder to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Official Reaction and Ongoing Allegations

A government source said that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for company directors would provide greater assurance about who was setting up and running UK firms.

The role of the South Americans in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the mercenaries recently admitted that he had instructed minors in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The UAE, repeatedly alleged of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries. A report alleged that UAE nationals supplying Colombians to the RSF were connected to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has repeatedly rejected these claims.

A UK official commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the safety of civilians, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also imposed restrictions on RSF commanders for their role in the atrocities in El Fasher.